Which European Countries Rely Most on Foreign E-commerce? A Look at Cross-border Trade in Europe

Southern European Nations Lead in International Shopping

Statistics demonstrate that online shoppers in Spain, Italy, Turkey and Norway conduct over three-quarters of their e-commerce activities through international retailers. This stands in stark contrast to markets such as Poland, Romania, and Serbia, where domestic platforms maintain a stronger foothold.

The research indicates that Northern European e-commerce giants have successfully established themselves as dominant forces across multiple markets, particularly in southern regions where local alternatives may be less developed or competitive.

Why Some Markets Maintain Stronger Domestic E-commerce Ecosystems

The economic powerhouses of France, Germany and the Netherlands have developed strong domestic online retail environments. Zalando, Bol and Carrefour have built up their presence in their home markets while also expanding into international markets.

These countries have well-developed logistics systems and multiple domestic competitors, yet Germany with its highly developed domestic e-commerce market still sees about 60% of online purchases made through cross-border channels. This shows the dominant role of multinational platforms in the digital marketplace.

Source: ECDB

Regional Disparities

Southern and Eastern European markets appear particularly dependent on international platforms. Nations including Portugal, Croatia, Lithuania, and Spain report that international sellers account for more than 75% of their e-commerce activity.

Consumers in these regions often turn to platforms like Amazon and Temu for competitive pricing and broader product selection compared to what’s available through domestic retailers. However, purchases through international platforms don’t necessarily exclude locally-produced goods.

Notable Exceptions Bucking Regional Trends

The observed patterns reveal several interesting exceptions. The e-commerce market in Poland belongs to Allegro because this company leads Amazon in market share. The top e-commerce platforms in Romania Serbia and Greece consist mainly of domestic retailers.

Amazon operates dedicated domains in Poland and some other markets but it does not have direct operations in multiple countries within this region.

The analysis reveals how European markets develop their cross-border e-commerce dependence through a combination of geographical factors and digital infrastructure and competitive market forces and consumer preference patterns.